Hotels or Vacation Rentals?

My family is going to go for a vacation in Toronto soon. I thought we would stay in a hotel, but my wife mentioned renting a vacation condo instead. Apart from not wanting to argue with her (since I’ll end up losing anyway), I’m starting to warm up to the idea, but I still have reservations about renting anything. A hotel seems so much simpler to me – you check in, you get your room, and you’re done.

What do you think? Have any of you rented a vacation condo before? Do you think we should go with a rental or stay at a hotel instead?

I think your wife has a valid point. There’re several ways a vacation rental could be better than staying at a hotel.

For one thing, staying at a rental will feel more like a home than a hotel would. I’m sure you will do a fair amount of traveling and sightseeing. At the end of the day, when you get back, it can feel like you are coming back to your own home.

Also, these short-term condos will be furnished. You can arrange or pick something that you like. Imagine having that pampered feeling when you get back after a long day of travelling. It will be like your second home for the duration of your vacation.

Some people like to do their own cooking. If you or your wife love to cook, then you will enjoy the freedom of staying in a rental place. You’ll have all kinds of amenities at your disposal. Some of these places are quite luxuriously furnished too.

Speaking from experience, when you rent one of these places, the staff will be friendly and helpful. They’ll also give you some advice on places to see. It’s almost like a hotel but with more privacy and less expenses. Have you decided on where to stay yet?

If you haven’t decided yet, I stayed with City Gate Suites near the Mississauga area and they were great. We received excellent service throughout the entire duration of our trip. The place we stayed had a wonderful view with lots of amenities too. We had a fitness gym, a swimming pool, seminar facilities for business-related activities, and the appliances were all modern and new.